Data Recovery · LanCologne

Is it still possible to retrieve data from a memory card taken from a damaged camera?

If only the camera is faulty – for example, following a fall, water damage or an electronic fault – the images on the memory card are usually unaffected. The situation becomes critical if the card itself is damaged or if the camera wrote data to the card before it failed.

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Technical background

Cameras write images to a FAT32 or exFAT file system. An interrupted write operation can corrupt directory entries, causing the card to appear empty or „unformatted“. Professional file formats (CR3, NEF, ARW, videos) are large and often fragmented, which makes recovery difficult without a file system. In the event of water damage, the card may also corrode.

What you should – and shouldn’t – do now

  • Remove the card and do not continue to use it in the faulty camera.
  • Do not confirm any „Format?“ prompt on a PC or another camera.
  • In the event of water damage, do not heat the card; instead, dry it and send it in as soon as possible.

Here’s how we do it

  • Check whether the card is electrically and logically responsive.
  • Read-only image of the map.
  • Reconstruction of the file system or file-type-based search for photo and video formats.
  • In the event of a card fault: direct access to the flash memory – chip/test point method depending on the memory configuration (e.g. using PC-3000 Flash), where technically feasible; results will be included in the quotation.

Borders

  • Fragmented video files may be incomplete if there is no file system.
  • Memory chips that are physically broken can no longer be read.

Possible results

The recovered photos and videos with their original file names, provided the file system has been preserved.

How we carry out data recovery

Every data storage device is first diagnosed in our own laboratory in Cologne; the diagnosis is free of charge. You will then receive a written quote and can decide whether to accept it. If you decline, you can collect the data storage device from the laboratory by appointment – there are no postage costs involved – or we will post it back to you; in which case postage and packaging costs may apply. Data is recovered from copies, not from the original – using professional data recovery hardware such as the PC-3000. If a drive needs to be opened, this is carried out on a HEPA H14-filtered clean bench. We do not offer a guarantee of success prior to diagnosis, as this is simply not possible in a professional context. Your storage device and your data will remain confidential and will not be passed on to third parties.

1Enquiries and submission by post or in person at the laboratory by prior appointment
2Free diagnosis of the cause of the damage
3Written quotation – we will only proceed once you have approved it; if you decline, you may collect the item from the laboratory or we will return it to you (postage and packaging costs may apply)
4Recovery, data verification and confidential handover

Request a diagnosis   Find out more about the process, costs and confidentiality →

Frequently Asked Questions

The card is showing as empty – have the photos gone?+
Not necessarily. Often, it is only the administrative structure that is damaged.
Can RAW files be recovered?+
Yes, common RAW formats are recognised; in the event of fragmentation, the completeness of the data depends on the file system.
What’s different about microSD cards?+
Many microSD cards have a monolithic design: the controller and memory are housed in a single chip. If such a card suffers an electronic fault, reading the data from it is considerably more complicated than with cards that have a separate memory chip.

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